Bulldozer blade support and angling adjustment



10, 1961 s. w. WARNER ETAL 2,967,364

BULLDOZER BLADE SUPPORT AND ANGLING ADJUSTMENT Filed Oct. 23, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 kill-Ii INVENTORS Srnmasrh/Memse BY kayfiflucx ATTVMYS Jan. 10, 1961 s, w, WARNER ETAL I 2,967,364

BULLDOZER BLADE SUPPORT AND ANGLING ADJUSTMENT Filed Oct. 23, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' INVENTORS 5 TAAZEYMh AR/VER By Roy 8 fiacx ATTORATYS United States Patent BULLDOZER BLADE SUPPORT AND ANGLING ADJUSTlVIENT Stanley W. Warner, Aurora, and Roy R. Buck, Naperville, lll., assignors to Caterpillar Tractor Co. Peoria,

111., a corporation of California Filed Oct. 23, 1959, Ser. No. 848,264

Claims. (Cl. 37-143) This invention relates to supporting and adjusting means for bulldozer blades and the like.

Bulldozers which may be employed for either straight or angling work usually comprise a support frame disposed normal to the direction of travel of the vehicle upon which it is mounted, and a bulldozer blade is connected by removable pins adjacent opposite ends of the support frame. To adjust the blade to an angling position in either direction, the pins are removed from one end of the blade so that it may be swung outwardly and forwardly about the pins at its opposite end. A spacer or brace is then fastened by pins to. the end of the blade which has been swung forwardly and; to the pin connections. on the same end of the support frame to hold the blade rigidly in its .anglingposition. -To change the directioniof the blade angle from right-to'left, it is necessary to remove the spacer and carry it to the other end of the blade which requires two or more men or heavy lifting equipment often not readily available on a job.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a bulldozer blade support and angling adjustment of simpe rugged construction which enables adjustment of the blade from any of its three positions to any other simply, and by one man, regardless of the size or weight of its several parts.

Further specific objects and advantages of the invention are made apparent in the following specification where it is described in a preferred form by reference to the accompanying drawings.

The invention is disclosed herein in its application to a wheel type loader vehicle, but is equally well adapted to use on motor grades and various other types of tractors and vehicles upon which a bulldozing blade may be mounted.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a wheel type tractor ordinarily employed as a bucket loader showing a bulldozer assembly embodying the present invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the bulldozer assembly shown in Fig. I viewed as from the line II-II of Fig. 1 and showing the bulldozer blade angled toward the left;

Fig. 3 is a view like Fig. 2 showing the bulldozer blade in a straight position; and

Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the blade angled toward the right.

As an example of one type of vehicle upon which the bulldozer apparatus of the present invention may be supported, a wheel type loader vehicle is illustrated at in Fig. 1 as having forwardly extending lift and tilt arm mechanisms all of conventional construction adapted to be manipulated usually by hydraulic jacks, not shown, to raise, lower and tilt a bucket. The bucket is supported by the forwardly extending portions of the lift arms. one of which is illustrated at 11, and the tilt linkage including a pair of foremost links, one of which is shown at 12. In the present illustration the usual bucket supported by the linkage has been replaced by a supporting frame 13 "ice connected to the arms 11 as by pins 14 and to the tilt links 12 as by pins 15.

A bulldozer blade represented at 16 is pivotally connected at spaced blade pivot points with the support frame 13 as by pins 17' (Fig. 2) adapted to pass through the outermost of spaced perforations in two pairs of brackets 18 on the forward face of the support frame, the brackets in each pair being disposed one above the other. Two pairs of brackets 20 extend rearwardly from the back surface of the bulldozer blade and have suitable perforations for registering with the perforations in the brackets 18 for reception of the pins.

The blade 16 is illustrated in its normal or straight position in'Fig. 3, and when it is desired to angle the blade toward the left, the pin 17 on the right hand side is removed and the blade swung outwardly to the position illustrated in Fig. 2. The blade is rigidly held in this position by a brace illustrated at 22 formed of spaced top and bottom plates between which rigid bracing 23 is disposed. The ends of the top and bottom plates project outwardly and have perforations for registry with the perforations in the brackets 20 of the blades and a pair of inner perforations or brace pivot points 25 on the brackets 18 on the support frame. A pair of brackets, the uppermost of which is illustrated at 26, is disposed centrally of the support frame 13 with perforations or brace pivot points equidistant from the perforations 25 in the two support plates 18.

With the construction thus far described, the brace 22 supports the blade 16 angled to the left by connection between the brace pivot points on the brackets 18 on the right side and the pivot points on the brackets 20 on the same side of the blade. When it is desired to swing the blade to the normal position shown in Fig. 3 the pins are removed which connect the brace 22 with the brackets 20 and the brace is first swung inwardly, as indicated by the arrow a, where its inner end may be pinned to the brace pivot point on the bracket 26 on the support frame which serves to hold the brace in a storage position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. The blade is then swung rearwardly about pins 17 until its brackets 20 register with andmay be pinned to the brackets 18 following the course of the arrow b. This leaves the blade in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 and the brace 22 securely stored in an unobstructing position.

Angling of the blade to the right is accomplished by removing the left hand pin 17 and swinging the blade sutficiently to the right to first permit swinging of the brace 22 about its central pivot point so that its right hand end follows the path of the arrow 0 in Fig. 3 and may be pinned to the left hand bracket 18. The blade is then swung back to the position illustrated in Fig. 4 and the center pin of the brace 22 removed so that it may be swung through the arc of the arrow d in Fig. 4 and connected with the left hand bracket 20 of the blade.

In order to move the blade from any one position illustrated to another, the support frame 13 is raised from the ground sufficiently to clear the bottom of the blade making it possible for one man to swing both the blade and the brace 22, both of which are always supported with respect to the support frame, and may be readily moved by virtue of their pivotal connections therewith.

We claim:

1. Support means for an angling bulldozer blade which comprises a supporting frame with blade pivot points adjacent its ends, pivot points on the blade registering with the blade pivot points, a brace with pivot points at opposite ends, and at least three brace pivot points equally spaced on the supporting frame intermediate the blade pivot points and spaced apart the same distance as the pivot points on the brace, whereby the brace may be positioned between either of two outer brace menses.

pivot points and one pivot point on the blade to position the blade angularly with respect to the supporting frame or between one outer and an intermediate brace pivot point to support the, bracewhen the blade is disposed parallel to the supporting frame.

2., Support means for an angling bulldozer blade which comprises a supporting frame with blade pivot points adjacent its ends, pivot points on the blade register= ing with the blade pivot points, a brace with pivotpoints at opposite ends, and at least three brace pivot points equally spaced on the supporting frame intermediate the blade pivot points and spaced apart the same distance as the pivot points on the brace, whereby the brace may be positioned between either of two outer brace pivot points and one pivot point on the blade to position, the blade angularly with respect to the supporting frame or between one outer and an intermediate brace pivot point to support the brace when the blade is disposed parallel to the supporting frame, and removable pins for connecting all of said pivot points.

3. Supporting means for an angling bulldozer blade which comprises a blade supporting frame adapted to be carried by a vehicle, a blade pivotally connected adjacent opposite ends to the supporting frame with removable pivot means whereby the blade may be swung to right and left angling positions relative to the frame, a brace with pivot connections between the frame and the blade for either angling position, and a central pivot connection on the frame spaced from the right and left brace pivot connections thereon a distance equal to the distance between the pivot connections on the brace.

4. Supporting means for an angling bulldozer blade which comprises a blade supporting frame adapted to be carried by a vehicle, a blade pivotally connected adjacent opposite ends to the supporting frame with removable pivot means whereby the blade may be swung to right and left angling positions relative to the frame, a brace with pivot connections between the frame and the blade for either angling position, and a central pivot connection on the frame spaced from the right and left brace pivot connections thereon a distance equal to the distance between the pivot connections on the brace whereby the brace may be swung from a bracing position to a storage position parallel to the supporting frame.

5. Supportingmeans for an angling bulldozer blade which comprises a blade supporting. frame'adapted to be carried by a vehicle, a blade pivotally connected adjacent opposite ends to the supporting frame with removable pivot means whereby the blade may be swung to right and left angling positions relative to the frame, a brace with pivot connections between the frame and the blade for either angling position, and a central pivot connection on-the frame spaced from the right and left brace pivot connections thereon a distance equal to the distance between the pivot connections on the brace whereby the brace may be swung from a bracing position to a storage position parallel to the supporting frame, and then to the opposite bracing position all while it is supported relative to the frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,783,941 Bunch Dec. 2, 1930 1,964,360 LeTourneau June 26, 1934 2,107,123 Low Feb. 1, 1938 2,259,747 Gustafson Oct. 21, 1941 2,565,337 Allan Aug. 21, 1951 

